MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Servicemen of the Aleiskaya Motorized Rifle Brigade of the battlegroup Center destroyed a considerable amount of Ukrainian military equipment, including armored vehicles and heavy drones, during the liberation of the village of Kotlyarovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The statement followed the ministry’s announcement on May 12 that units of the battlegroup had liberated the village.
"The flushing out of Ukrainian servicemen from buildings and structures was carried out with the help of attack drones and munition drops from reconnaissance quadcopters. During the fighting, Russian fighters destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment, including armored vehicles and heavy Baba Yaga drones. The enemy, despite desperate attempts to hold their positions, was forced to retreat after suffering serious losses," the statement said.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces had turned the village into a strongly fortified area with a developed defense system, numerous dugouts and firing points hidden in forested areas.
"Assault units had to operate in the conditions of fierce resistance from a well-prepared enemy. Despite massive shelling involving cannon artillery and cluster munitions and constant attacks by enemy drones, servicemen, by moving in small groups, were able to traverse an open area with a powerful anti-tank moat and dug in in a wooded area, flushing out the enemy from their shelters step by step," the statement said.